I had one, but it died. Peonies have a really difficult time here - too hot in the summers, and not cold enough in winters (they need a winter chill period longer and lower than what we can give them from what I understand).

Sorry - hate to be barer of bad news. You are correct, they are very beautiful!

dstartz, I got a reply from a nice man in GW that says he lives in california wine country (zone 9) dry hot summers and mild winters, who successfully grows peony Sara Bernhart and Festiva. He says bush peonies will bloom in 3 years and tree peonies in 5 years. I tell you, this gardening thing is just forcing me to learn patience and i don't like it, I tell you, just don't like it. LOL

About 3 years ago when we were getting rain, I grew about12 peonies. Out of the 12, 3 bloomed and the others dwindled down and finally died. It was just too hot here.
Good luck in your attenpt as they are certainly beautiful.
Susie

I planted a Festiva in Giddings and it bloomed for about 3 years and then moved to austin and i moved it too and had to plant it right away in June and it bloomed the next year and the next and the next and it is full of blooms now..It is on the north side of the house so maybe that has something to do with it---anyway the blooms are worth the trouble.

Carter is right. Being from Boston I grew peonies for many years. In fact, they are one of my three all time favorites flowers, the others being lily-of-the-valley and lilacs. When I moved to the Houston area I had to come to terms that I would no longer be able to grow any of these. The intense heat is too much for them and not enough chill time in the winter. I went through a period of sadness and mourning. Then I just moved on to all the wonderful plants I could grow here that I could not grow in a cold climate...like citrus and figs and pomagranates...

Yes, but human nature always makes you want what you can't have! I remember growing up in NY and my grandfather had a ton of peonies. The smell was amazing, huge blooms. I gotta give it a shot. Have mine in a container so I can move it if it looks like it is getting too much sun. Saw somewhere on here where people in the south put ice around their peonies in the winter to make them colder so they will bloom better in the Spring. Hmm...

Indoors? Not sure how to do that. I had lily-of-the-valley that spread and spread to huge areas in my yard. I even had plenty to share with friends. A local florist would pay me each year to pick some of it for his bridal bouquets.